What Comes of It
by Petite Doll
Summary: The Sith and the Jedi have never been able to coexist peacefully – so what of Anakin and ObiWan? SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** What Comes of It

**Author:** Dolly

**Rating:** R

**Pairing:** Anakin-Vader/Obi-Wan

**Genre:** Drama, Action

**Timeframe:** post RotS era AU. Anakin is 27.

**Summary:** The Sith and the Jedi have never been able to coexist – so what are the possible outcomes when they meet?

**Spoilers:** minor for AotC and RotS

**Warnings:** Contains slash, mature themes, and non-consensual sex (rape). Nothing graphic though.

**Notes/Series:** takes place about eight years after my story "A Simple Change" (which was set just after AotC) though you do not have to have read it for this to make sense as the two stories have completely different plots. But if you see little things that you don't quite "get" in this story, its probably because you haven't read the one that comes before it. So go read it! ;) There are also relatively major events that have happened between stories that will be revealed gradually, and only as necessary, since they are pretty easy to figure out and are more background than anything else.

**Background:** I wasn't planning on stating this explicitly, but to avoid confusion I'll make some of this clear now anyway, even though it will be revealed in time as the story progresses. Anakin and Padme were married, as in canon, but broke up before Anakin turned. Padme never had Luke and Leia. Obi-Wan and Anakin did battle on Mustafar, much like they did in canon, but Anakin didn't get burned by the lava. As for the specifics, you'll just have to pick them up as you read the story - it _will _be there!

_I have NO BETA! I'm the only person who has read this story as of posting it, so I apologize in advance for any errors or weirdness! And yes, Padmé is in the story (gasp!), but don't let her scare you off; she is a minor character only. ;)_

**Chapter 1**

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"I do believe that's my line," Obi-Wan said teasingly to Padmé as she walked with him to the Rebel Base's hanger.

She looked at him reproachfully. "You feel it too, then," she stated, looking him in the eye as they approached the small starfighter that he would be taking.

"Perhaps," he conceded. "But we really have no choice. I'm the only one who can do this."

"I know," Padmé said regretfully. In the almost five years since he had joined the fledgling Rebellion against the Empire, Obi-Wan had become a valued and trusted member. They were small in number, but growing continually. Still, Padmé knew that Mon Mothma was reluctant to send Obi-Wan, their only Jedi, on such a dangerous mission. His ability to use the Force made him invaluable to them, but at the same time it hindered his ability to go on missions since the Emperor and Vader could sense him. Yet here she was, seeing him off on a mission; and a very risky one at that.

"Just be careful, Obi-Wan. And promise me you'll come back," she said fiercely, giving him a quick hug before he got into his ship.

"Always, my friend." Giving her one last, reassuring smile, he closed the hatch and powered up his ship to launch. Padmé stood in the hanger for a long moment, looking after Obi-Wan's small starfighter.

His lack of assurances that he would be back had not escaped her notice. Despondently, Padmé slowly turned and left the hanger, somehow doubting that she would ever see her dear friend again.

------

Today was not a good day.

"Lord Vader?"

Inexplicably, he had been feeling tense and on edge lately, and what he really needed was a nice, violent insurrection to put down. Or, for that matter, anything that would let him get in a few good kills. And his current mission most certainly did not fit this description.

"My Lord?" the voice came again, somewhat hesitant this time.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" he answered menacingly, turning to glower at the younger officer.

Seeing the look on his commanding officer's face, the man shrank back slightly. "A message, my Lord," he said as he motioned towards the com unit.

Only slightly curious, Vader accessed the message, and anticipation welled up within him as he read through its contents. The dull mission that Palpatine had sent him on could wait; _this_ was what he needed to rid himself of his nervous energy.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," he said curtly, in a rare show of good temper. "Lay in a course to intercept the _Trinity_."

"Yes, my Lord," he answered promptly, and then hurried off.

Vader sat back in his chair, incredibly pleased by this new turn of events. A _Jedi. _They had caught a Jedi, and one rescuing children nonetheless. Surely this Jedi had known the risk, foolish as their kind tended to be. Unfortunately, the Jedi had succeeded in preventing the scheduled executions, but Vader felt that the loss was more than worth it. It had been more than two years since a Jedi had been captured, and he knew that there were very few that remained.

The question was, which remaining Jedi had been caught? Whoever it was, if they had eluded the Empire for so long then they would surely prove to be entertaining. And he had no doubt that they would be a pleasure to kill, as well.

Perhaps today wasn't such a bad day after all.

------

"Get up, you."

A boot kicked him in the ribs, and Obi-Wan suppressed a groan as he pulled himself off the cold floor of the containment cell. His head ached from the blows that it had received, and his movement was impeded by heavy cuffs on both his wrists and ankles. He observed, with some amusement, the eight Storm Troopers that waited outside of his cell to escort him to . . . wherever he was being taken. He wasn't entirely certain, but he suspected that he was about to have a most unpleasant reunion with his former partner. Reaching out unobtrusively with the Force, he could sense Anakin's familiar presence, even tainted by darkness as it was.

"Let's go." A tinny voice shook Obi-Wan out of his thoughts, and he moved swiftly to avoid another kick. The Storm Troopers marched him down the ship's corridors in silence, save for the clanking of their armor, and a pair of them stepped into a small shuttle with him. He stood, swaying, through the short ride, and stumbled briefly as they docked with lurch.

He was escorted down the ramp, and Obi-Wan couldn't suppress a small twinge of anxiety as a familiar figure came into view. Obi-Wan recognized the tall, well-built young man that greeted him as Anakin Skywalker; or rather, the person who had once been Anakin Skywalker. Taking in the hard, dark expression that marred the handsome features, Obi-Wan felt a pang of sorrow.

Anakin, however, looked positively delighted to see him, but not in the way that Obi-Wan would have liked.

"What a pleasant surprise. It's been far too long," he addressed Obi-Wan with a dangerous smile.

"Vader." Obi-Wan acknowledged him with a nod. Though he couldn't help but think of him as Anakin still, intellectually he knew that the Sith before him was not the partner and friend that he had known. But, even now, Obi-Wan couldn't fully bring himself to wish that he had had the inner strength to kill his former apprentice after their last, fateful battle on Mustafar. Still, the Jedi in him regretted that he had held back and saved this monster that stood before him.

Anakin moved in closer then, and seemed to look over every inch of his weary, battered body with an inscrutable expression on his face. Obi-Wan resisted the urge to squirm, instead bringing his gaze up to meet the taller man's.

A look very much like a smirk crossed Anakin's face. "Bring him to my quarters," he ordered. "But first," he said distastefully, "Clean him up." Without another word, the young Sith turned and strode out of the hanger, his long black cape billowing behind him.

Clean him up? What in the galaxy was Anakin up to? Obi-Wan had been hoping for a fairly quick execution, but it seemed that Anakin had a different idea.

The bad feeling he'd had still hadn't gone away, and he had the sinking feeling that his demise would not be nearly as swift as he would have liked.

------

_Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you all for your reviews! ((hugs)) A few answers to questions/comments:_

_potterluvva: I added some background notes to the first chapter, that should answer your questions. _

_Tsuchubi-chan: funny you should mention that author, I just got a book by her at the library called _The Bone Doll's Twin, _and its pretty good so far! __I haven't read any of her other stuff though, so I'd have to say no to your question. Oops! And you are quite welcome, thanks for the review._

_Artemis1000: yay, someone liked my summary! lol. I have so much trouble with those, so I appreciate the compliment. ;)_

_Anyhow, here's the next chapter. It's longer than the last one. :)_

**Chapter 2**

Vader had hoped that the captured Jedi would be at least a Master, preferably one that he knew and thus would take extra pleasure in torturing and thinking up a creative death for. So when he had sensed that is was his old Master, he had been positively _happy_. His initial glee was somewhat dampened, though, as soon as he started thinking about what to do with Obi-Wan. Perhaps he was biased, but Vader grudgingly recognized that Obi-Wan was one of the strongest Jedi that he knew, by sheer will alone. He doubted that even his own special brand of torture would be enough to break the Jedi; in fact, he doubted if Obi-Wan could be broken at all, least of all by him. And Vader certainly didn't want to kill him without breaking him.

Before he could consider the matter further, his door chimed, and a pair of guards escorted Obi-Wan in. Vader quickly dismissed them, and the two were alone for the first time in over five years. Vader raked his eyes over Obi-Wan's form, marveling at how unchanged the older man was, though he looked far younger than Vader, now. Still slender and beautiful, Obi-Wan was just as Vader remembered him, right down to the calm, inscrutable look on his face and his cream colored Jedi tunics.

"So, care to tell me what you plan to do with me?" Obi-Wan asked casually, not really seeming to care. As Vader had suspected, it appeared that he had already resigned himself to his fate. It would not be easy to shake Obi-Wan, serene and dispassionate as he always was. Dispassionate . . . A slow smile spread across his lips as a long-forgotten and dismissed idea blossomed in his mind and took on new life.

"My plan?" Vader replied archly. "You flatter yourself, my old Master, if you assume that I have one." In past years he had spent many, many hours dreaming up what he would do when he finally got his hands on Obi-Wan, but now that the time had come, none of his plans seemed even vaguely sufficient. Except, perhaps, for one. Vader moved closer to Obi-Wan then, and circled him slowly before coming to a stop just centimeters from his face. He looked down into the head of red-gold hair, and forcefully brought Obi-Wan's face up to meet his gaze. "I'm sure I'll think of something, though," he said smoothly as he ran his finger down across Obi-Wan's lips.

Obi-Wan did not move, though flinched slightly at his touch. Yes, this was definitely the best way to deal with Obi-Wan. Vader knew that he may not be able to break Obi-Wan's spirit, but he would settle for having some fun and humiliating him before killing him.

"I'm sure you will," Obi-Wan said, looking him in the eye.

Vader made a show of looking Obi-Wan over. "Ever the Jedi, even down to your manner of dress," he observed. "That will have to be taken care of. But for now," he said with a cold smile, "Strip." Obi-Wan did not move at first, and simply looked back at him calmly, though Vader could sense just the slightest hint of discomfort in his demeanor. "Or perhaps you would prefer that I take your clothing off for you?" he asked mockingly as he fingered Obi-Wan's tunic with his robotic hand.

"I'd like to see you try, with these on." Obi-Wan replied wryly as he held up his cuffed wrists and looked down at his chained feet. Annoyed at himself for overlooking the bindings, and angry with Obi-Wan for making him look the fool, Vader unlocked them with a wave of the Force and they dropped to the ground with a clang. He then leaned back against the table and crossed his arms, making it clear to Obi-Wan that he was watching. Slowly, Obi-Wan began to undress.

"As much as I appreciate the strip show, do hurry up. It's been a long day, you know." Vader said caustically. That should get Obi-Wan moving, and give him just enough of a hint at what he was planning to make him nervous. Though he had to admit, watching the man undress so slowly and deliberately was disturbingly appealing to him.

His words had their intended effect, though, and the remainder of Obi-Wan's clothes came off at a much faster pace. He resisted the urge to draw in a quick breath as he took in the firm, lithe body that stood before him, instead settling for a rather obvious and intimidating leer. Or at least, it was meant to be intimidating. Obi-Wan, to Vader's surprise, wore the same expression that he had when fully clothed in the hanger bay.

Frustrated by his own ineffectiveness, Vader grabbed Obi-Wan's by the arm and shoved him roughly onto the floor at the foot of his bed. Calling the cuffs over to him with the Force, he then chained Obi-Wan's wrist to the bed post. It was more of a symbolic gesture than anything, since Vader knew that Obi-Wan could unlock these cuffs just as easily as he himself had. But, as Obi-Wan surely knew, the cuffs were of little importance; escape was impossible on a ship such as this.

"Now that we have established who is in charge here," Vader said, allowing some of his triumph to seep into his voice, "I have other business to attend to." He wanted Obi-Wan to know that he wasn't his top priority. Even though he was. "Try not to get into any trouble while I'm gone." With one last look at the bound, naked man on his bedroom floor, Vader turned and left with a flourish of his cape, retreating to his adjoining sitting area. He didn't actually have any matters to attend to that were more pressing than the one currently in his bedroom, but he liked the idea of leaving Obi-Wan to squirm for awhile.

Vader spent some time reading reports, and purposefully ignored a message from his Master. The Emperor had probably heard that Vader's ship, the _Defiant_, had deviated from its course to Neskya, where he was to oversee the transition of several mid-level officials. The whole mission was meaningless, really, as just about any upper-level Imperial officer could have done the job. So when Vader had intercepted the message from the _Trinity_ that they had a captured Jedi on board, he had not hesitated to disregard his orders in favor of acquiring the Jedi. And he did not regret it one bit. If his Master had gotten a hold of Obi-Wan first, he probably would have killed him before even letting Vader have a go at him. But of all the Jedi, Obi-Wan should be, and now was, _his_ to deal with.

Deciding that an hour was enough time, and seeing how he was too distracted to get much done anyway, Vader abruptly stood and headed back to his bedroom. Obi-Wan was still chained to the foot of his bed, as he had been when Vader had left. But he was most definitely not squirming, and if anything he looked more calm than he had when Vader had left. He appeared to be _meditating_, of all things.

Perhaps giving him some time alone had not been the best course of action.

Vader stalked over to Obi-Wan and stood in front of him, legs spaced apart in an intimidating stance. "Stand up," he ordered. Obi-Wan gave him a mild glare but obeyed, much to Vader's pleasure. He then moved slowly around behind Obi-Wan and leaned close to his neck, breathing near Obi-Wan's ear as he wrapped an arm around his chest. Deliberately, he ran his tongue up the curve of the other man's neck to his ear, which he then bit.

Obi-Wan shuddered minutely, but boldly turned around to face him. "Don't do this," he implored. "You may not like what comes of it."

"I'll be the judge of that, Obi-Wan," Vader replied as pushed Obi-Wan down onto the bed with the Force and his own strength. Vader held Obi-Wan down with the Force while he undressed, and then climbed on the bed to straddle Obi-Wan, pinning him to the bed with his own substantial weight. Feeling Obi-Wan tense beneath him as if poised for action, Vader leaned down until his face was mere centimeters from Obi-Wan's. "Go ahead and struggle. But don't think you can make me kill you before I'm done with you," he said in a calm, deadly voice.

Obi-Wan met his gaze with an equally determined look. "Good to know," he said, a hint of challenge entering his tone.

So, Obi-Wan was going to make this difficult . . . good. Vader allowed himself a feral grin as he forcibly spread Obi-Wan's legs apart, which was no easy task as they seemed more inclined to kick him than allow him entry. Looking down at the firm, writhing body beneath him, Vader found himself almost immediately and painfully aroused, and he swiftly and brutally began to enter it as it struggled under his touch.

------

Anakin was gone.

It was morning, though one would never know it by looking out the window. Obi-Wan lay still on the bed that he remained cuffed to, watching the stars streak by as the ship carried him closer to an inevitable end. Obi-Wan shifted slightly in another futile attempt to get comfortable, and winced at the pain that flared throughout his body. He hurt in a multitude of places, from the raw bite marks on his neck to the dark bruises on his shoulders from where his former apprentice had held him so forcefully. Though it was the more . . . sensitive parts of his anatomy that hurt the most, and, by the look of the blood on the sheets, had only recently stopped bleeding. Last night had been painful, but he would heal. If he was allowed to live long enough, that is.

Obi-Wan had expected Anakin to toy with him and perhaps torture him, yes; but he most definitely had not expected rape. But then, even before he had turned Anakin had been a passionate young man; and, if what Padmé had told him was any indication, this extended to his sexuality as well. So it really shouldn't have been such a shock to him that Anakin would rape him as a way to dominate him and cause him pain; yet it was. And it had hurt, so much more than just physically. Now, more than before, Obi-Wan realized that the young man that he had loved was gone.

But Obi-Wan was a Jedi. Unlike the Sith, he was not a slave to his emotions -- even now.

------

_Not my usual sweet fluffy stuff, as you may have noticed. But it won't be really dark or angsty, either. Let me know what you think of this style, I'm working on the sequel to this story right now and any imput is appreciated! _


	3. Chapter 3

_I appreciate your comments, everyone, they really encourage me! I'm not too keen on writing rape scenes, but since its kind of necessary for the plot I tried hard to keep it tasteful and discreet; I'm glad it didn't turn out too bad. But from the number of reviews this story's been getting, it looks like I must've scared a lot of people off! But I will fix everything eventually . . . _

_Tschubi-chan: That sounds like a great book series, I'll have to check that out! Doubt the library has it though, lol. And thanks for your comments, I'm glad that you found my characterizations to be okay. :)_

_Sith Jesto: there won't be any mpreg in this story (its already written), but I have considered writing a story with it and I see what you mean about a turning point. I decided not to put it in this story, though, since it already has a high "squick" factor and I know some people don't like mpreg._

**Chapter 3**

Vader strode confidently down the corridor towards his quarters, eagerly anticipating what awaited him there. Last night had been positively orgasmic, and not just literally. There was something incredibly erotic and sensual about forcing sex on his former Master, but he couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Palming open the door and heading directly to his bedroom, Vader paused in the doorway for a moment and took in, with great relish, the sight of Obi-Wan on his bed; naked, bloody, and beautiful. But as much as he liked his handiwork to be visible, the blood just had to go. There was no way that he was sleeping in that mess, and he decided to try to be a bit neater next time.

Approaching the bed, he saw that Obi-Wan was looking at him. He had the same calm expression on his face, but there was something else there as well that made Vader slightly uneasy. Ignoring the feeling, Vader moved closer and undid the cuffs that he had used to keep Obi-Wan on the bed after they had finished last night. "Clean up," he ordered brusquely, motioning towards the 'fresher unit. "You will wear what I give you."

Obi-Wan seemed to ignore him, but rose stiffly and made his way gingerly to the 'fresher and shut the door behind him. And Vader allowed it, because as much as he would have enjoyed watching, he had to order the bed changed and find something for Obi-Wan to wear. And damned if he would allow him the dignity of dressing like a Jedi. He had ordered one of his underlings to find something appropriately revealing and humiliating, but there had been nothing delivered to him yet. Making a note to severely inconvenience said underling, Vader strode over to his own wardrobe and began rifling through it. Though he doubted Obi-Wan would care to wear anything that belonged to a Sith Lord, he decided that most of his own garments were far too dignified anyway. So, he would have to find something else.

A few minutes later Obi-Wan stepped out of the 'fresher, clad only in a scant black towel. His hair, still wet, clung to his neck and face in stark contrast to his ghost-like skin. Piercingly blue eyes looked at him, in both question and challenge, making Vader want to slam the other man into a wall right then and there. But he would restrain himself and wait, allowing the tension to build up; but for who, he was not sure.

"Get dressed," Vader said, gesturing imperiously towards the bed.

Obi-Wan walked over to the bed with obvious difficulty, and eyed the clothes that lay on it dubiously. "I'd prefer the towel," he said dryly as he sat down on the edge.

"You will wear them," Vader said menacingly. "It matters little to me which one of us puts them on you." Though he rather hoped that Obi-Wan would refuse, so he could put the clothes on that lithe body himself.

Glancing to the side, Obi-Wan let out a quiet sigh that was a mix of resignation and exasperation, but dropped the towel and began to pull on the clothing that Vader had found for him. It was a lovely, finely made outfit of cream colored silk, consisting of a sheer sleeveless top and cropped, clingy pants. It was a just a bit tighter on Obi-Wan than it was meant to be, but that only added to its appeal. As Obi-Wan slid it over his slim, well-muscled body, Vader felt a pang of fondness at the sight of the familiar garment being worn again, but quickly squashed it.

"I do hope Padmé will forgive me for borrowing her night clothes without asking," Obi-Wan said with a humorless smile. "Or did she give them to you?" he asked flippantly.

Vader felt anger boil up in him at the unwanted reminder of his traitorous former wife, and he stalked over to glower at Obi-Wan. "I will do what I please with them. As I will with you," he said threateningly.

"Haven't you already?" came the maddeningly calm reply.

"Do not fool yourself into thinking that I would let you die so easily," Vader replied coldly as he once again chained Obi-Wan to the bed. "There's still so much more fun to be had."

------

After thoroughly groping him and biting him in several glaringly obvious places, Anakin had left Obi-Wan alone again, still chained to the bed. Obi-Wan was beginning to rather dislike the bed, and wished he could just sit on the floor. Unfortunately, the bed was large and the chain of his cuffs was short, so he was stuck on it. Removing the cuffs would not be too difficult, but it would not help him escape and his situation was bad enough that he didn't feel the need to provoke Anakin any further.

Somehow, he had the distinct feeling that things were going to get much, much worse before they got any better. His prediction, minus the getting better part, proved to be true later that evening when Anakin returned. The young Sith seated himself and Obi-Wan at a small table, and eyed Obi-Wan with a predatory gaze as he went about eating his evening meal.

"Eat," Anakin commanded, but Obi-Wan just shook his head. Though the guards that had checked on him during the day had let him use the 'fresher, they hadn't fed him, so he was quite hungry. But he could easily go without food for the amount of time that he had remaining to live, and he didn't want to give Anakin the satisfaction of having yet another thing to hold over him. "Always the stubborn one," Anakin commented with a smirk as he slid a forkful of meat into his mouth. "But that is your problem, not mine," he said after he had finished chewing.

Not wanting to give his captor any topic for further discussion, Obi-Wan simply sat patiently at the table. Clearing his mind, he closed his eyes and reached out to the Force to find his inner calm. It hummed around him reassuringly, soothing his jangled nerves, and taking his worry.

A hard slap across his face brought him abruptly back from his meditations. "Stop that." Anakin said harshly, looking somewhat rattled. "I didn't say you could do that."

"I hardly require your leave to meditate, _Anakin,_" Obi-Wan said calmly. He knew that his words would only anger Anakin, but at that moment he couldn't bring himself to care.

Anakin carefully placed his fork back down on the table. "It seems that I have still not made it clear who is in charge here," he said deliberately, narrowing his eyes. Before Obi-Wan knew what was happening, Anakin was in his face and hauling him over to the bed again for a repeat of last night.

And thus a pattern was formed. Several days passed, each one of which Obi-Wan spent meditating and watching the stars streak by while chained to the large, much-loathed bed. In the evening Anakin would return and have evening meal, which Obi-Wan refused, save for some water. And then he was shoved onto the bed, violated, and forced to sleep next to the man who had done it.

All in all, it was not a pleasant existence, and Obi-Wan was beginning to wish that Anakin would kill him already and get it over with, since escaping from the bowels of a galaxy-class Imperial war ship was beyond even his abilities.

But on the fifth day, something changed; the stars stopped streaking by. Morbidly and irresistibly curious, Obi-Wan escaped from his cuffs, not caring by now what Anakin would do in retaliation. He padded over to the window on the far side of the bedroom, taking care not to jar his abused body, and his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. Having called it home for so much of his life, Obi-Wan instantly recognized the city-planet of Coruscant, even from above. But Imperial City was nothing like the home that he had known.

"We have arrived." Anakin's smooth, cold voice from behind him caused him to start slightly, and he mentally berated himself for having let his attention wander. "My Master the Emperor is most anxious to see you."

So perhaps this was how he was to die; at the hands of Darth Sidious. It would surely be painful, but a small part of him was glad that Anakin would probably not be the one to kill him.

------

_Is this story just not appropriate for There won't be anything graphic, but I wonder if this is even a good place to post it._


	4. Chapter 4

_Here's the next chapter, see the bottom for author's notes. :)_

**Chapter 4**

Vader eyed the slight figure that stood beside him critically, but tried to do so in a subtle manner. In the five days since he had taken Obi-Wan as his prisoner, the Jedi had become even paler than he normally was and unhealthily thin. Bruises covered what could be seen of his body, and Vader observed with some pride the bite marks that marred the graceful neck. He admitted to himself, reluctantly, that he was actually enjoying having the Jedi around. It was rather nice to have someone around that didn't quiver in fear at his first sign of ill-temper, and the sexual activity provided him much needed release. Certainly, he could have any number of attractive men and women in his bed at his whim, but that was hardly the point.

As if sensing his scrutiny, Obi-Wan turned his head up to look Vader in the eye. Vader looked away abruptly, inexplicably embarrassed at having been caught looking.

"Come," he said brusquely as he stepped out of his quarters on the _Defiant _and headed to disembark. Obi-Wan trailed after him reluctantly, still cuffed at the wrists but not otherwise guarded. They were on an Imperial ship docked at the Imperial Palace in Imperial City, and Vader knew that even Obi-Wan had the sense not to try any daring escapes here. As they headed out of the hanger bay, Vader considered, for the first time, what he was going to do with his captive. He had planned to kill Obi-Wan fairly promptly, and thus had not counted on having him around still by the time he arrived back home.

Yet here he was in the Imperial Palace, with Obi-Wan walking at his side. He wasn't quite sure when, but at some point in the past few days he had decided that killing the Jedi would not be the best course of action. He would enjoy the diversion that Obi-Wan provided, and told himself that death was far too kind a fate for his old Master, who seemed to almost welcome it. Better to degrade him by keeping him as a plaything of sorts.

Going over his options, Vader decided to go with what he already knew would work and keep Obi-wan with him in his private chambers; Force only knew they were large enough. Satisfied with his decision, Vader walked swiftly through the halls of the Imperial Palace towards his chambers, slowing his pace only slightly for Obi-Wan, who was moving slower than usual. Stopping so abruptly that Obi-Wan nearly ran into him, Vader pushed open the large doors to his private chambers and stepped inside, pulling Obi-Wan in after. He then turned around to face Obi-Wan. "Welcome home," he said mockingly, spreading his arms. "You had best get used to it."

Without another word, Vader turned and went into his office, leaving Obi-Wan alone in the sitting room, hopefully to wonder about his fate. The room was locked and secure; he wasn't concerned that Obi-Wan could escape. He sat down at his desk to prepare a report for is Master, but found his mind wandering to other matters that were both more and less important. More specifically, how to bring up the matter of Obi-Wan to his Master. Surely, the Emperor would wonder why he wanted to keep a Jedi, and Vader was absurdly reminded of how he had felt as a young Padawan asking his Master if he could keep a wild animal that he had found as a pet.

Banishing such ridiculous thoughts from his mind, Vader prepared his report, and finally sent it after several half-hearted revisions. Surely his Master would be displeased that he had taken Obi-Wan for himself, but Vader would deal with that issue when the time came. Having settled that, he turned his attention to more practical matters.

-------

Obi-Wan was somewhat at a loss. What had Anakin meant when he had called this place his home? He doubted that Anakin would keep him alive for much longer, and if he did he surely wouldn't keep him in his own private chambers. At least, he hoped not. Quite honestly, a hard bunk in a detention cell was looking downright appealing in light of recent events. But by the way Anakin was talking, it would seem that he planned to keep him here for more than just a short time, and Obi-Wan really didn't want to think of the implications if that was the case.

His battered, sore body was tired from the short trip and Obi-Wan allowed himself to sit down on the couch and close his eyes briefly as he let his body re-energize itself. He wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, but it seemed like only a moment passed before he sensed that Anakin had returned to the room. He didn't bother to open his eyes right away, but asked off-handedly, "Well, now what are you going to do with me?"

No reply was forthcoming, and he opened his eyes to see Anakin frowning. But not at him, surprisingly enough. "Surely you must be getting tired of keeping me around by now," Obi-Wan remarked, and the distracted frown on Anakin's face quickly turned to a scowl that was directed at him. That was more like it.

"You are more entertaining than you give yourself credit for, Obi-Wan," Anakin said archly as he moved closer to him, and at that moment Obi-Wan really regretted having let his guard down enough to sit. Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan by the wrists and pushed him sideways onto his back, and then got onto the couch and knelt over him. "I will be keeping you around for some time."

"And here I was looking forward to a nice, swift execution," Obi-Wan said dryly. "Dare I ask how long 'some time' is?"

"So sorry to disappoint you, my old Master." Anakin smirked. "But I have decided to keep you. You make a fine toy."

By the triumphant look on Anakin's face, Obi-Wan realized that he must have been gaping and quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression. Surely, it was too far fetched to believe. But then Anakin bent down then and began ravaging his neck again, and Obi-Wan suppressed a shudder. "A Sith, allowing a Jedi to live? Whatever will your Master think?" he asked admonishingly, hoping that the thought would distract Anakin enough to get him off of his neck, which it did. Anakin drew back abruptly, and Obi-Wan was startled by the dark look that his former apprentice wore.

"It doesn't matter what my Master thinks; you are mine, not his. I'm _not_ his slave, and I can do what I please in this," Anakin said, sounding confident to the point of it being forced.

"How reassuring," Obi-Wan replied sarcastically, though he was not the least bit reassured. But then again, the way things were going with Anakin, he might actually prefer the inevitable torture and death that Palpatine would surely want to inflict on him. Surely, Force-lightening couldn't be much worse than what Anakin had done to him every night they'd been together so far.

"Good," Anakin breathed as he looked down directly into Obi-Wan's eyes. "Because tomorrow morning, he wants to see you. And I will allow it."

Obi-Wan sincerely doubted that Anakin could 'allow' Palpatine anything, but he didn't see any reason to tell him that just now. If Anakin hadn't figured that out already, then he was only deluding himself. Though it seemed highly probable that he, rather than Anakin, would be the one to suffer for it.

"Enough of this talk," Anakin said impatiently, getting up off of the couch. "I don't keep you around for that." He then pulled Obi-Wan up and dragged him into the spacious bed room for another long, painful evening.

------

Obi-Wan was sore again, or perhaps he was still sore. He couldn't tell, but it was probably both. As always, he had resisted Anakin's sexual advances, and as always, his efforts had been rewarded only with bruises, bite marks, and aches. He winced as he sat up in bed, and rotated his shoulder experimentally as he accessed the damage that Anakin had done to it last night while pinning him to the bed. He turned his head to survey the room, which he hadn't gotten a good look at the night before, and nearly jumped in shock as he saw Anakin's sleeping form next to him. Uneasily, Obi-Wan slid out of bed, absently noting that he had not been chained to it.

Naked as he was, he paused briefly as he considered wrapping himself in a bed sheet, but then dismissed the idea. Anakin had more than seen him naked, and any display of modesty on his part would only give the young Sith further opportunity to humiliate him. He padded out into the sitting area and settled himself down on the floor to meditate, and release his thoughts of anger and hopelessness into the Force. Because as much as he needed a healing trance, he needed this more. The Force embraced him gently, allowing him to maintain the calmness and strength that he knew he would need today.

His meditations were soon interrupted as he felt the dark, turbulent presence of his former apprentice enter the room. He opened his eyes and looked up at the intimidating figure calmly, though Anakin didn't really look all that intimidating with his hair sticking up and his chest bare.

"Get dressed," Anakin said tightly. "You have an audience with the Emperor." He then stalked off to another room that Obi-Wan guessed to be an office or study.

Somewhat miffed that Anakin had assumed he would obey, Obi-Wan nonetheless rose and went back to the bedroom, and then gingerly pulled on the clingy blue tunic set that was laid out on the bed. Looking the clothes over, he concluded that they had not belonged to Padmé, as had the other clothes that he had been made to wear since his capture. No, these were new, and obviously very expensive judging by the tailoring and the feel of the fabric.

The thought of Anakin buying him clothes like this made him feel slightly ill. And lovely as they were, he would never wear them willingly.

Least of all to an audience with a Sith Lord.

------

**Seylin, Ice Dragon3, dragon shadows, Melanye, MissNaye**,_ and_ **WhiteDestiny**: _Hugs to you all for reviewing:) And happy birthday, White Destiny, I updated this at Force Haven on Monday so I hope you got to read it then! As for an uncut version of this story . . . there is none! I don't write explicit sex scenes, really, I tend to write "fade-out" type scenes. Hmm, maybe that's why no one's reading? LOL. And I will return to writing sweet/cute stories again; actually, the next story after this one is much lighter._

_Still here? Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Many thanks to those of you that reviewed! I appreciate that you let me know you're reading. :)_

**Chapter 5**

"Come closer, little Jedi," commanded the gravelly voice from inside the Emperor's audience chambers.

Reluctantly, but with a quiet calm, Obi-Wan stepped forward to stand before Sidious. They looked each other over for a moment, silently appraising, before the Sith let out a low, rolling laugh.

"My apprentice has fine taste, if nothing else," he remarked as his eyes traveled over Obi-Wan's body. "Though it hardly makes up for his lack of good sense," he snarled.

"That may be the only thing that we agree on," Obi-Wan replied coolly, looking Sidious in the eye.

"Indeed," Sidious said with a dangerous smile. "And through you I shall teach him his error and his place." With a vicious grin, Sidious spread his fingers as force lightning leapt from them, striking Obi-Wan with white-hot pain. He doubled over, but did not cry out as the assault continued, for how long he couldn't say. He then felt himself being lifted off the ground by a ripple of dark energy, and with a wave of Sidious's hand he was flung back against the wall. He hit it, hard, and slumped down to the ground. His head hurt, and the room suddenly seemed to get darker as he hazily registered Sidious's horrific face above him. "I will be watching you with my apprentice, _Jedi_," the Sith hissed, and he seemed to be saying something else, but it was all a haze to Obi-Wan as he slipped into greyness.

Abruptly, he started awake, only to find that the audience chamber was now empty. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious for, but he figured it couldn't have been too long as he wasn't stiff from sitting in such an awkward position. But between his injuries from Anakin and the assault from Sidious, moving was still quite an effort. Painfully, he pulled himself to his feet and stumbled out of the chambers, fighting the oblivion that threatened to overcome him again.

He was overcome by a wave of dizziness, and the last thing that he remembered before passing out was being caught and cradled by a pair of familiar, black-clad arms.

------

Vader fumed silently as he carried the unconscious Jedi back to their chambers. His Master had assured him that he only wanted to question the Jedi, and that Obi-Wan would be returned to him intact. Nevertheless, Anakin had decided it would be wise to wait for Obi-Wan outside of the Emperor's audience chambers, just in case something came up. A few minutes after Obi-Wan had gone in Vader had gotten a distinctly uneasy feeling, but it had not prepared him for the sight of Obi-Wan stumbling out of the Emperor's chambers, blood dripping onto his delicate new clothes.

Vader had quickly moved towards Obi-Wan, intending to give him a tongue-lashing for having provoked the Emperor, but the other man had simply fallen into his arms, unconscious. He carefully lifted him as if he were no more than a child, and was somewhat disturbed by how little weight there was to carry. Vader briefly considered taking him to the medical wing, but quickly dismissed the idea in favor of simply returning with him to their quarters.

He stalked down the wide hallways, directing a menacing glare at anyone who dared to stare at them. Throwing open the doors, he went directly to the bedroom and flung back the blankets with the Force, and then laid Obi-Wan on top of the bed. Obi-Wan had not stirred at all, and Anakin suppressed an unwanted twinge of worry as he sensed how weak the other man was. Promising himself that he would punish Obi-Wan for his insolence later, Vader tentatively reached out to grasp a long-untouched part of the Force and directed the warm, bright energy towards Obi-Wan. Satisfied with his work but strangely shaken, Vader pulled the blankets over the unconscious man and left the room.

------

Obi-Wan returned to consciousness only partially, as though a heavy shroud of darkness was slowly being lifted. He felt someone pull the blankets off of him, indicating that he must be in a bed, and something cold and metal touched his neck. He shivered as the cold air came into contact with his bare chest, and even that small motion was painful.

"For a medic you seem rather inept and keeping your patients comfortable." Anakin's icy voice filtered into his consciousness. Suddenly, the cold metal was removed, and the blankets were on him again.

"My apologies, Lord Vader," an unfamiliar voice replied stiffly.

"Well?" Anakin asked testily.

There was a brief silence before the unfamiliar voice that Obi-Wan figured belonged to a medic replied. "Oh, yes, of course . . ."

Obi-Wan lost his hold on the conversation then as the ache in his head seemed to reach a crescendo. A nearly inaudible moan escaped his lips, and he turned his head away from the noise that was buzzing by the bed. The noise gradually faded away then, and he allowed himself to do the same as unconsciousness beckoned once again.

------

"You are dismissed." Vader said curtly as he waved the medic away. The man gave a quick bow and hastily departed. And a good thing for him, too, because Vader was in a particularly foul mood.

Obi-Wan would be fine, the medic had said; he just needed rest. Complete and total rest, most of which would consist of sleep. Had anyone been feeding him, the medic had asked? And perhaps, he'd suggested, it would be a good idea to stop, ah, beating him so often? It's best to think in the long term, the man had advised him knowingly.

Grudgingly, Vader admitted that perhaps he would have to re-think how he dealt with Obi-Wan now that he would be keeping him. As diverting as the added violence was, it really wasn't a necessity for his continued sexual enjoyment, and over time he knew that it would only lead to the physical break down of his lovely new companion. Which would mean, of course, no more sex at all. And the same went for Obi-Wan's refusal to eat; it was simply not acceptable anymore. Surely Obi-Wan would agree with his logic.

Night had fallen, and Vader sat down for the evening meal, refusing to notice the empty place across from him. He then read a few rather dull mission reports, but found that he couldn't concentrate as well as he'd have liked. Abandoning his efforts, he headed back to his bedroom and changed into a pair of sleep pants before slipping quietly into the bed beside Obi-Wan's unnaturally still form. Vader was tense and could have used the relief of another stimulating sexual encounter with Obi-Wan, but the Jedi looked far too weary and fragile to be of any use just then. So Vader left him alone.

Sleep did not come easily, that night.

------

The following morning Vader rose early as he always did, somewhat irritable from the poor night's sleep. He dressed with his usual efficiency, but before he left the room he found his gaze drawn to the slim, slumbering form in his bed. His expression softened briefly, but he quickly turned away and left the room before . . . . what, he didn't know.

Today, Vader would take the steps necessary to ensure that he would be able to keep Obi-Wan properly. Starting with first meal. He took the meal from the Palace servant who was waiting at the door and hastily ate his portion before he took the rest back to the bedroom. Unsurprisingly, Obi-Wan was still asleep. Vader debated for a moment whether he should let him sleep more or wake him up to make him eat, but his impatience won out in the end.

"Wake up." Vader ordered the sleeping man. But Obi-Wan was even worse at obeying when he was asleep than when he was awake, and he didn't show any sign of having heard Vader's command. Almost hesitantly, Vader reached out and shook the bony shoulder as he repeated himself more forcefully. "Wake up, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan practically sprang upright at his touch, and an expression of pain flitted across his face at the sharp movement. Vader gave him what he considered to be a patient look and motioned towards the tray of food on the table. "Here. Eat," he said brusquely.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at him, a sign that Vader knew was not good for his cause. The Jedi said nothing, and simply looked at him for a moment in a manner that made him want to fidget as he might have as a Padawan. Obi-Wan then gingery scooted over to the other side of the bed, got up, and made his way unsteadily out of the bedroom.

It was then that Vader had the distinct feeling that keeping a Jedi would not be as easy as he had thought it would be.

-----

_Too dark? Too sweet? Whatever you think, feel free to let me know. ;)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Here's the next chapter, hope you guys like it! See bottom for author replies._

**Chapter 6**

Of all the things he might have expected to wake up to, Anakin bringing him a tray of food was certainly not one of them. Neither the sight of Anakin nor the food was particularly appealing though, and he made what he hoped was a clean escape from the room. He wanted to go ever to the window to meditate, but before he made it even halfway across the sitting area his legs buckled under him and the room began to spin. Before he could hit the floor, though, a strong arm wrapped itself around his waist and held him upright.

"I don't recall giving you permission to get up." Anakin scowled down at him as he steered him back to the bedroom. Firmly, but with a surprising gentleness, Anakin pushed him back down onto the bed and flung the covers back over him. Obi-Wan's head was swimming and his limbs felt like mush, so he didn't bother to muster up the energy to protest.

"I don't know what you said to the Emperor, but whatever it was you were foolish to say it. He is my Master, and since you belong to me you must show him more respect if you wish to survive future encounters with him," Anakin scolded him.

More than slightly annoyed by Anakin's declaration of ownership, but not feeling up to a useless argument, Obi-Wan simply leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes, quickly sinking into sleep.

Anakin would have none of that, though, and Obi-Wan felt a hand grab his chin and pull his head to face its owner. "I didn't say you could go back to sleep, either," Anakin told him irritably.

Obi-Wan dragged his eyes open and met Anakin's gaze. "Make up your mind, then," he said tiredly. He was too weary to play whatever game Anakin was playing now.

"Eat." Anakin repeated forcefully.

"That would be rather a waste, don't you think?" he said flippantly. Despite Anakin's earlier threat, Obi-Wan doubted that he would be keeping him alive for more than a short time.

Anakin was angry now, Obi-Wan could tell. But his weakened body was already beginning to shut down, and sleep took him before he had a chance to hear Anakin's reply.

------

Vader stalked out of the bedroom, seething from his failed encounter with Obi-Wan. Clearly, the man hadn't taken him seriously when he'd said that he was going to keep him.

And Vader hated it when people didn't take him seriously. _Especially_ Obi-Wan.

And if trying to get him to eat was this difficult, he couldn't imagine how he could get Obi-Wan to stop fighting him so much every time Vader wanted to have sex with him. But hopefully, Obi-Wan's sense of self preservation would kick in as soon as he realized that Vader wasn't going to kill him anyway.

But how to get Obi-Wan to take his declaration seriously, before he wound up killing himself with his own stubbornness?

Vader headed to his study to ponder this while looking over various reports and inquiries. It was dull work. A Senator from Corellia requesting a different liaison, the Bothan Secretary submitting a planetary taxation report, the Monarch of Kahlshar requesting Imperial acknowledgment of his new Consort . . . Vader paused as he skimmed over this last report, and read it a bit more carefully. A Consort, by Imperial Galactic Standards, was someone who provided companionship and possibly sexual services to someone in a position of power, but that had no political powers or rights other than those that their Master or Mistress granted them. And, he noted with malicious delight, it seemed that Consorts were allowed to accompany their 'partners' _anywhere_.

If the Monarch of Kahlshar could have a Consort, then Vader figured that he, the second most powerful person in the Galaxy, should be able to have one as well. It was decided then. He would make Obi-Wan his Consort, thus accomplishing two goals at once. Not only would Obi-Wan realize that he was serious, but Vader would be able to humiliate and control him further by forcing Obi-Wan to accompany him on official Imperial business and behave properly.

Unusually pleased with himself, Vader turned to the com unit. He had arrangements to make.

------

When Anakin returned to his bedroom that evening, Obi-Wan was still asleep. He didn't stay that way for long, though, as Anakin shook his shoulder incessantly until Obi-Wan woke up, wincing at the contact.

"Sit up," Anakin ordered, and roughly shoved some pillows behind him to prop him up. Obi-Wan eyed Anakin warily, and suppressed the urge to sigh in annoyance as Anakin deposited a tray of food on his lap. "Eat." Anakin folded his arms and glowered at him.

Obi-Wan hadn't eaten for many days, and not only was he not hungry but he was also somewhat nauseous due to his spinning head. Obi-Wan looked down at the food, and then up at Anakin. "I honestly don't know what you're up to, Vader, but I hardly see the point of this," he said calmly.

"Let me make it clear for you, then," Anakin said with just barely contained ire. "You are mine. I am keeping you, _alive_. You won't escape me so easily by starving to death." Anakin moved closer, then, and bent over the bed so that his face was just centimeters above Obi-Wan's. "And if you still refuse to eat, I will have a medic come and supply you with parenteral nutrition, which would be even more of a 'waste'," he threatened. Anakin then pressed a data pad into Obi-Wan's hands before returning to his chair at the bedside, looking unaccountably pleased with himself.

Any remaining doubt Obi-Wan may have had regarding Anakin's intentions quickly vanished as he looked over the contents of the data pad. It was a condensed version of the daily Imperial Newsnet broadcast, and it seemed that he was the top story.

_IMPERIAL CONSORT ANNOUNCED_

_In a surprising move, His Imperial Lordship Lord Vader has announced that he has taken a Consort. Lord Vader, second in power only to His Imperial Highness Emperor Palpatine, has chosen not to actually name his new Consort, referring to him simply as "Ben". All further inquiries as to the nature of his Consort have been politely refused, though it is likely that he will be available for viewing at Lord Vader's next official appearance. It is traditional . . . . _

Obi-Wan's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and he shook his head at the wording of the article. "What have you gotten yourself into?" He admonished Anakin, a hint of amusement creeping into his tone despite his initial horror. As absurd as it was that he, a Rebel Jedi, should be an Imperial Consort, somehow Obi-Wan was not terribly surprised. Anakin had always been impulsive, and prone to taking drastic measures to reach his goals. And Darth Vader was no different.

"You may want to ask yourself the same question, my _Consort,_" Anakin replied smugly. "Enjoy your meal," he said mockingly before exiting the room.

Obi-Wan let out a small sigh and looked down at the tray, filled with fine fruits, soup, and tea, fitting fare for someone who had been ill. If Anakin wasn't going to kill him, and keep him prisoner instead, then Obi-Wan may very well be stuck here for a very long time. Unless he tried to escape, of course. When faced with the choice of impending execution or certain death in a dangerously impossible escape, there really wasn't much to consider.

But now that execution was no longer impending, he faced a different choice. With time and planning, perhaps death would not be so certain and success more likely if he should attempt escape. But of course, if he wanted to do that he would have a much better chance if he were in good physical health.

Picking up a fork, Obi-Wan stabbed at a piece of melon and popped it into his mouth.

------

_Responses:_

_**kyer:** lol, I have no idea who that is, but thanks for the review! __**Ice Dragon3: **love the mental image, I do see Anakin as somewhat childish like that at times. ;O) **Haku:** glad to have you as a reader, thanks for reviewing! **Seylin: **I'm glad you thing that it is balanced, that's what I was going for. :) **mickeylover303: **I really appreciate your thoughtful review! I'm glad that you picked up on the subtle undertones, I try hard to add them inso the characters seem in character when I make them do certain things. And I have no idea where this plot came from, lol. **rlturner79: **it will certainly become more pronounced. ;) _

_Thanks for reading, everyone! Please let me know what you think. ;)_


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks for reading and to those of you that left reviews:) Please see the bottom for reviewser replies and an important author note._

**Chapter 7**

" . . . peripheral part of the system. Conversely, the overall trade revenues could benefit only marginally if the upper quadrants were redirected through the cluster to the . . ."

Vader tuned out the droning voice of the Lieutenant as he went on about something having to do with trade routes. The Treasurer and the Commanders present would be the ones to make the final analysis and present it to the Emperor; Vader was here only as a formality. But he was still, unfortunately, here. It was getting late, well past time for last meal, and he should be back in his chambers right now enjoying the delectable body of his Consort.

In the past few weeks, he had gotten rather used to having Obi-Wan around, and Obi-Wan seemed to be adjusting to his position under Vader quite well, both literally and figuratively. The Jedi ate, now, and while he didn't exactly participate in their sexual encounters, he had at least stopped forcing Vader to hurt him so much. Obi-Wan did struggle a bit, though, and just thinking about that nubile body writhing under his was enough to make him harden right then. Uncomfortably, Vader shifted in his seat, and tuned back into the conversation again.

" . . . favorable ratios have been calculated via several different methods, including the . . . "

That Lieutenant was still droning on.

"Lieutenant," Vader interrupted him coldly. "What time is it now?" he asked in the tone that one uses to speak to small children and idiots.

The Lieutenant blinked and looked back at him uncertainly, and then looked down at his chrono. "Twenty-one hundred and fourteen hours?" he ventured.

"Indeed. And what is it time for?" Vader continued.

There was a brief pause before a hesitant answer came. "Ah . . . nothing?"

Vader leaned back and steepled his fingers. "Yes, Lieutenant, nothing. And as close as this long-extended presentation comes to that, it is still wasting my time," he said testily.

The Lieutenant paled, and the others in the room remained silent. "My apologies, my Lord," the Lieutenant stammered. "I believe we are finished here." He bowed, and hurriedly began to put away his data.

"You are all dismissed," Vader intoned, and then stood and turned to leave without so much as a look back.

Even before he reached his chambers, Vader knew that something was wrong. He flung open the doors and stalked inside, looking first in the sitting room, then in the bedroom, and even in his study. But his search was fruitless.

Obi-Wan was gone.

------

Obi-Wan was so close, and yet so far. The Palace's hanger was mere meters away from his current position – which was pinned around a corner across the hall from it. After carefully observing the times that the guards changed, and waiting for a night that Anakin was out, Obi-Wan had made his move. It had taken judicious use of the Force in some instances, but he had managed to get this far without any significant difficulties. That is, until now. Storm troopers had suddenly closed in on him from either side of the hallway, bombarding the short span that he needed to traverse with blaster fire. With his lightsaber, he would have stood a good chance of making it across; but without it, his odds were much slimmer.

But it was a risk he was willing to take. Moving with blinding speed, Obi-Wan sprinted across the hallway in a near leap, gritting his teeth in pain as a bolt tore through his right thigh. He landed gracefully in the small alcove that led to the hanger, and quickly keyed open the door, which, thankfully, was unlocked. The doors slid open, and Obi-Wan stepped inside as they closed behind him.

It was over.

Slowly, Obi-Wan held up his hands as he came face to face with the Imperial Guard and a swarm of Storm Troopers.

------

Obi-Wan sat back on the hard, narrow bunk in a Palace detention cell and looked up at the ceiling with a quiet sigh. This was not where he had hoped to be by now. But he supposed that it was better than Anakin's private chambers, anyway, and hopefully Anakin would leave him here for the night. Though now that he had tried once to escape, he had no doubt that it would be more difficult the next time he tried. And he would try again, and keep trying until he either escaped or was killed.

But for now, he had more pressing matters to think about. His leg throbbed painfully, and was still leaking blood. He closed his eyes and entered a light healing trance, focusing his energies through the Force toward healing. His efforts were soon interrupted, though, by the taunting voices from outside his cell.

"What kind of Jedi takes a nap when he's captured?" By the sound of the voice, Obi-Wan guessed that it was not a Storm Trooper.

"Thinks he can ignore us," came another mocking voice.

They barrier of his cell was gone, now. Obi-Wan opened his eyes and sat up, eyeing the pair of Imperial Guards warily.

"We're going to be in a lot of trouble because of you," the brown-haired one said coolly. "Lord Vader is going to be furious that it took so long to capture you."

"I doubt he's going to be very happy with me either, if that makes you feel better." Obi-Wan offered dryly.

"As a matter of fact, it does," the taller of the two said as he moved closer. "Lord Vader is leaving you here for punishment, so you won't be sleeping in your plush bed with him tonight," he sneered. "But I've always wondered what's so wonderful about you that he keeps you around. He's never kept anyone else for more than a few days." He stepped even closer, then, and yanked Obi-Wan off the bunk before shoving him up against the wall. "Perhaps you can show me and make up for all the trouble you've caused."

Obi-Wan struggled to escape the touch, and suppressed a brief flare of fear. But the guard only chuckled and pressed his hips against Obi-Wan before grabbing his chin and pressing a bruising kiss against his lips. Obi-Wan endured it, mouth closed, but retaliated with a swift knee to the man's stomach.

The guard stepped back for a moment, gasping, but quickly fixed Obi-Wan with a malicious glare. "I bet you do that for him too, don't you?" He chuckled. Abruptly, he brought his staff down across the back of Obi-Wan's legs, bringing him to his knees, and then stunned him with a brutal blow to his head. Then, with great deliberation, the guard flicked open a small vibro-blade and ripped off Obi-Wan's silken blue shirt and bloodied pants.

"Your _Master_ isn't here right now, pet, it's just us," the guard said confidently as he drew his blade lightly across Obi-Wan's throat, leaving a thin trickle of redness. "There's no escape," he breathed into Obi-Wan's ear before sinking his teeth into his always-tender neck.

Hazily, and with a sinking heart, Obi-Wan recognized that the guard was probably right. Even supposing he could get away from this one, there was another armed guard outside of his cell along with countless Storm Troopers.

But he had been raped many times before; it was only his body, and he could endure. This time should be no different . . . in theory.

The guard unfastened his pants, then, and pressed his hardness up against Obi-Wan as he slumped against the wall, his head spinning. Obi-Wan willed his body not to tense up, so as to avoid further injury. But before he could even register the additional presence in the cell, he felt a surge of dark energy and looked back to see the guard slam into the wall and slide down into a heap, leaving a bloody streak in his wake.

------

_Replies: __**kyer:** that may be a better comparison than you think! lol. **angelofshad0ws:** oh, of course that won't happen, can't make it to easy! **rlturner79:** thanks for your kind words. :) **Ice Dragon3:** thanks for catching that typo, I always miss something when I edit my stories. I'll get around to fixing it eventually. And I'm so happy that you're picking up on the finer characterization points. **Miss Naye:** so does Vader ;) **Annette:** thank you! I do try for unique, regardless of how it turns out._

_**Important Note:** Currently, this story is only posted at my site (Force Haven)'s forum and here. I am considering posting it at Live Journal instead of here, since I don't like to spread my stories around too much and I think LJ has more of an audience for it. Either way I decide, though, I will post at least one more chapter here after this. Would any of you prefer LJ?_


	8. Chapter 8

_Please see the bottom for author's note. Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it!_

**Chapter 8**

Vader ignored the garbled explanations of the guard slumped on the floor, instead slicing him cleanly through the middle with his lightsaber just as he had done to the one that had been waiting outside the cell and all the others in the immediate vicinity. "Insolent fool," he scoffed, clipping his lightsaber back onto his belt.

Vader had almost been too late when he had sensed Obi-Wan's location as the Jedi had tried to escape, and he realized how very close Obi-Wan had come to succeeding. Fearing that he would vent too much of his anger and inadvertently harm the Jedi more than he should, Vader had decided to leave Obi-Wan in the detention cell for the night. His plans had changed, though, when he had felt a brief but unmistakable flare of fear across what remained of his bond with Obi-Wan.

With speed borne of worry that he would deny ever feeling, Vader had headed straight for the detention block and easily located Obi-Wan's bright presence. Rage had consumed him as he saw the guard forcing his naked, battered Consort to the floor, and Vader had unleashed it in the form of dark Force energy as he slammed the defiler into the wall.

Furious with Obi-Wan for being assaulted and even more furious with himself for allowing it, Vader made an effort to curb his anger before he turned to look at Obi-Wan. He looked his Consort over critically, more than slightly displeased by what he saw. The Jedi looked back at him with a slightly dazed expression, blood trickling down the side of his face.

"Stand up," Vader said roughly. In one swift motion, he removed his heavy black cloak and draped it over Obi-Wan's naked body, not wanting to share it with the rest of the Palace. "Since you cannot seem to stay out of trouble even here, you are coming with me."

Obi-Wan nodded uncertainly and staggered to his feet, using the wall for support when his right leg gave out under him. Noticing the dried blood on it, Vader moved over to him and steadied him with an arm around his waist. Obi-Wan tensed and looked mildly surprised, but Vader just scowled down at him and pulled him out of the detention block.

As much as Vader wanted to take Obi-Wan back to their chambers and give him a good reaming, the more sensible part of him recognized that it might be a better idea to take him to the medical wing instead.

"Where are we going?" Obi-Wan asked as he noticed their change in direction.

"To visit the medics," Vader growled. "Because I know how you love that."

"Oh," Obi-Wan replied, somewhat dazedly.

They entered the medical wing and Vader promptly dropped Obi-Wan onto the examining table. "But don't think I'm done with you," he said threateningly. "You," he directed to the medic that had just entered. "Treat him, and have him returned to my quarters no later than tomorrow afternoon," he ordered. "And under no circumstances are you to allow him to leave before then. See that he remains secured." His eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Yes, my Lord," the medic replied quickly, eyeing Obi-Wan warily.

With one last look at his injured Consort, Vader turned and exited swiftly, still seething. He returned to his chambers and prepared for bed, irritated that his bed mate would not be there to provide him with a diversion.

------

The following day, Vader returned to his chambers twice before afternoon, but Obi-Wan was not there yet. Annoyed by the inconvenience and slightly worried, Vader resisted his highly inappropriate impulse to go to the medical wing before heading to a late presentation that he had agreed to attend.

By the time he returned to his chambers, it was evening. The sitting room was dark, but he didn't bother to turn on a light as he headed straight for the bedroom. A small light was on in the bedroom, and Obi-Wan lay asleep on the bed, clothed only in a thin medical tunic. Reaching out with the Force, Vader allowed himself a quiet sigh of exasperation as he sensed the reason that Obi-Wan was asleep. Apparently, the medics had taken his admonishment to keep Obi-Wan secure quite seriously, and had sedated him.

Perhaps they had heard what he had done to the guards.

Blowing out his breath, Vader shook his head in irritation as he sat down on the side of the bed beside Obi-Wan. "Once again you have escaped my wrath, Obi-Wan," he said resignedly. Vader supposed that he could have sex with Obi-Wan anyway, but it wouldn't be the same. And it seemed that the much-needed scolding would have to wait.

Removing everything but his pants, Vader lay down on the bed next to Obi-Wan and pulled the blanket up over them both. Turning on his side, he impulsively reached out and touched Obi-Wan's smooth cheek, then drew back quickly. But Obi-Wan did not stir or show any sign of recognition, and before he could stop it Vader found his arm moving to hold Obi-Wan in a light embrace.

And Vader allowed it, just this once. Because this would never, ever happen again.

------

Sometime between last night and this morning, something had changed.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin curiously from where he lay on couch, which was where Anakin had promptly deposited him after first meal. The young Sith had spoken barely a word since he had woken up, and now sat beside Obi-Wan's head. This positioning made Obi-Wan somewhat uneasy, but not nearly as uneasy as the look on Anakin's face did.

"You will never do that again," Anakin told him calmly, though Obi-Wan could sense an underlying current of tension in his voice.

"Won't I?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, looking up at Anakin sadly.

"No, you won't," Anakin replied icily, leaning down closer to Obi-Wan's face. "Because if you do, I will kill them all." Anakin clenched and unclenched his fist beside Obi-Wan's head. "Every single person who you ever come across, every person who helps you in any way, no matter how small, and every person who you manage to get past." Anakin drew in a ragged breath and put his mouth to Obi-Wan's ear. "I will kill every one of them, if you try to escape again," he whispered harshly. Before Obi-Wan could respond, Anakin drew him up into his arms and pressed his lips against Obi-Wan's in a rough, desperate kiss.

Obi-Wan froze for a moment, but then pressed his palms against Anakin's chest in an effort to pull away. Struggling, he looked up into Anakin's face, but stilled in shock at what he saw there. Anakin broke the kiss abruptly, and leaned Obi-Wan's upper body down onto his lap.

"And I will catch you anyway," he finished, directing a smoldering look down at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan took in the expression on Anakin's face with a mixture of sadness and despair. He had thought it impossible, but there it was: Anakin loved him, though Obi-Wan was sure that he didn't even know it. This dark, ruthless Sith loved him, and would kill as many people as he needed to to keep him at his side, even if he didn't understand why. And while Obi-Wan was more than willing to risk his own life to escape his hellish captivity, he would not risk the lives of innocents. And Anakin knew it.

"Why?" Obi-Wan choked out, not really directing the question towards anyone or expecting an answer. But Anakin answered him anyway.

"Because you are mine," he said intently. "You always have been." Anakin stroked his hair with a strange tenderness, as though Obi-Wan were a treasured pet in his lap. And Obi-Wan could only close his eyes against the touch and tune it out, refusing to let himself believe in it, and focusing instead on the Force.

------

_Big thanks to **kyer, Arcangelic, Seylin, xtina, Sunchine Pie, MissNaye, MelanyeBaggins, dragon shadows, Tschubi-chan, Ice Dragon3, rlturner79, Prosopopeia**, and **angel **for replying! And I appreciate that some of you came out of "lurkdom" to let me know your opinion. ;) _

_As for where I will post this story, I've decided the just finish it here, as it looks like a few of you aren't too keen on the LJ idea. A lot of you did reply and tell me that you would use LJ, though, so there's a good chance that I'll post the sequel to this story there._


	9. Chapter 9

_Thanks for all the great comments, you guys! (blush) I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying it so far, and here is the next chapter._

**Chapter 9**

As a Jedi Obi-Wan had always lived a rather busy life, first as a Padawan, then as a Master, and then as a General during the Clone Wars. And even after the Jedi Purge, Obi-Wan had been an active participant in the Rebellion.

But now, as a captive Imperial Consort, Obi-Wan found that for the first time in his life he had nothing to do. Obi-Wan had no doubt that Anakin would carry out his threat if he should attempt an escape, so planning an escape attempt was no longer a consideration. And he certainly didn't have any duties to perform . . . at least not during the day, usually.

He performed katas and meditated a great deal, which allowed him to maintain his sense of self and accept his situation as it presented itself. But one could only meditate so much and do so many katas, and Obi-Wan was somewhat at a loss as to what to do with himself for much of the day. Of course, Anakin's chambers – he still refused to think of them as his – had full access to the holonet, but Obi-Wan wasn't often in the mood for mindless drivel and Imperial propaganda, absurd as it could be.

So he asked himself instead what he would have done with free time if he had had it as a Jedi. Recalling after a moment the still-unexplored aspects of his strangely acquired Aurën heritage, Obi-Wan felt that he had his answer. Between his Padawan and the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan had had precious little time to spend becoming acquainted with anything about his Aurën physiology besides his body's immediate workings. He had, however, noticed subtle and not-so-subtle differences in his Force abilities, such as the strange tenacity of his bond with Anakin. That was not something that he particularly wanted to think about, though, so he set his sights on a more potentially useful task: figuring out how to make himself invisible in the Force.

It was something that the guards from Aurën had been able to do at will, and Obi-Wan was certain that he could do it as well. He knew that the ability was within him, _somewhere_, but finding and mastering it would take time. And time, Force only knew, was something that he had in abundance. His mind made up, Obi-Wan seated himself and reached deep within his mind, probing and drawing out his latent abilities.

Obi-Wan had certainly not expected to make much progress right away, but his efforts were interrupted after only a couple of hours by Anakin's return. Much to his dismay, Obi-Wan had become somewhat accustomed to Anakin's dark, wild presence in the Force, and it usually didn't even disturb his meditations anymore. But there were some times that he couldn't stand to be around Anakin, so overpowering and reeking with darkness as his presence occasionally was. These times, Obi-Wan had noted, seemed to coincide with when Anakin committed large-scale atrocities and was consumed with blood lust.

And it looked like now was one of those times. Before Anakin had even entered his chambers, Obi-Wan was brought out of his meditations by the chaotic, sickening sense of his former apprentice. Anakin's aura seeped darkness and malcontent, and Obi-Wan quickly moved to the far end of the sitting room and picked up a data pad in an attempt to avoid it in the only small way that he could.

But his attempt was futile, as he figured it would be. Anakin strode confidently into his chambers, and it was only a few seconds before his gaze came to rest on Obi-Wan. "Not meditating, my old Master?" he smirked, stalking closer to Obi-Wan.

"One can only meditate so much. Surely, you of all people should know that," Obi-Wan shot back at him, hoping that his ill-ease was concealed from the young Sith. Being so close to Anakin's dark presence was like being suffocated and fondled by oily blackness, and it took every iota of Obi-Wan's willpower to stay put as Anakin moved closer, even as the darkness receeded somewhat.

"Most meditation is a waste of time. But I hardly care what you do in my absence," he replied dismissively. Unspoken between then was the fact that Anakin didn't consider his escaping an issue. Anakin sat down beside Obi-Wan then, hip to hip, and Obi-Wan couldn't suppress a shudder at the sickening presence. Anakin seemed to think of another explanation for his shuddering, though. Wrapping his arms around him, Anakin began to plant kisses on his neck just below his ear. "To bed. Now," he said huskily as he stood and pulled Obi-Wan up and into the bedroom.

As Anakin pushed him down on his back onto the large, soft bed, Obi-Wan turned his face away from Anakin's and squeezed his eyes shut. Sex with the young Sith was not a pleasurable activity for him, but it was usually at least tolerable now that he had gotten used to it. But now, dark and bloodstained as Anakin's aura was, Obi-Wan didn't think he'd be able to stand the intimacy of sex. Just being around Anakin now was revolting, and he couldn't bear the thought of experiencing the closeness in the Force that they experienced during intercourse.

So when Anakin began running his hands down his thigh and pressing his hips to his, Obi-Wan fought to dislodge him, shoving him off with all his strength. Anakin was far stronger than he, though, and Obi-Wan was not surprised that his efforts failed. But he would still try. The physical pain that he knew his struggles would cause would at least help dampen the psychic pain.

Anakin paused for a moment and lifted his head, looking at Obi-Wan with a mixture of confusion and anger. "You will cooperate," he said forcefully, attempting to capture Obi-Wan's gaze with his own hardened one. But Obi-Wan wouldn't allow it, instead turning his head away.

"No, Vader. Not tonight, not willingly, and never like when you are like this," Obi-Wan replied quietly, his voice little more than a ragged whisper.

Anakin's gaze darkened and his expression hardened into one of anger. "I will do as I please with you." He sat upright, straddling Obi-Wan, as he tore off both their clothing and bent down to attack Obi-Wan's neck. Obi-Wan cringed at the contact and grappled helplessly against Anakin's hold on him.

But to no avail. Anakin did as he pleased.

------

Vader rolled over in bed and almost squashed his bed mate. Shaking the sleep from his mind, he wondered for a moment why Obi-Wan was still even in their bed, as Obi-Wan usually got up far earlier than he. A quick look at the livid bruises and marks on what was exposed of his Consort's body, however, quickly reminded him of last night's . . . minor disaster. With a low growl Vader got up, making an effort not to jostle the bed too much.

Disconcerted, he stalked over to his closet and pulled on his clothes, periodically looking back towards the sleeping figure on the bed in consternation. Vader had thought that he and Obi-Wan had reached an understanding, and since he had made it clear to Obi-Wan that escape was not an option things had gone quite well. Obi-Wan didn't fight him much, and Vader didn't have to hurt him. Certainly, this was beneficial to them both, as Obi-Wan was no masochist and Vader didn't really like hurting his lovely companion. It had been entertaining for awhile, but now that the novelty had worn off he could grudgingly admit to himself that he much preferred to have a partner that he didn't have to worry about hurting. And now, thanks to the surprisingly valiant struggle that Obi-Wan had put up last night, that's exactly what he had. Bruised and battered, Obi-Wan would hardly be in any condition to provide him pleasure tonight.

But _why_ had Obi-Wan suddenly resisted him so fiercely last night?

Almost by its own volition, his gaze wandered back to the slim figure in the bed, and he couldn't stop himself from starting slightly when he saw that Obi-Wan was awake, and looking his way.

Wasting no time, Vader growled his inquiry. "Why?"

Obi-Wan gave him a sad look. "I don't like it, Vader, even on your best of nights, but there are some nights that your aura is so tainted that I would welcome the distraction that physical pain provides rather than allow myself to sense you fully," Obi-Wan said in a quiet, deliberate voice.

Vader considered this for a moment, silently, and then swept out of the room without giving a word in reply.

So, Obi-Wan could sense his aura. This was no surprise to him, really, as he could sense Obi-Wan's as well. Last night, some of Obi-Wan's anxiety must have been transferred to him, and the sex had left him feeling strangely ill. But what could it be that was bothering Obi-Wan? Yesterday had been a fairly normal day, consisting of a few meetings, an inspection, a mass execution, some reports . . . the mass execution. That had to be it, as he hadn't carried one out personally for some time. And Force only knew how overly sensitive Obi-Wan could be about such trivial things.

It was a shame, really, as he did rather enjoy them – but not as much as he enjoyed being with Obi-Wan every night. Mildly displeased by the loss of a pleasant past time, Vader nevertheless accepted the situation as it was and headed to get first meal.

------

_As always, please let me know what you think!_


	10. Chapter 10

_(((hugs reviewers))) Thanks for reading, you guys! There are just a few more chapters left, and they may be posted a bit slower so I can get the next story finished by the time this one is all posted. _

_Estel Baggins: to answer your question, Obi-Wan is definitely not of Auren heritage in canon; remember that my story is an AU. ;) You can find out all about how that happened in my previous story,_ A Simple Change_ (also refer to the author's notes in Chapter 1 of this story)._

**Chapter 10**

"In this, you ask too much of me," Obi-Wan said coolly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Being forced to have sex with Anakin was a degrading, unpleasant experience. But, at the very least, it was private. Unlike this.

"You will accompany me to the Imperial celebration on Dantooine," Anakin told him calmly, a razor edge to his voice. "Just as you have accompanied me to other such events. This is no different."

But it was. The other three events that he had been made to attend had been a station opening, a building dedication, and an inauguration ceremony; all fairly irrelevant events. The celebration on Dantooine was in honor of the Empire's success in driving the Rebellion out of that sector. "It is different, but you know that already," Obi-Wan said with a hint of sadness in his tone.

"It does not matter. Your face will be covered as it always is when I take you out; no one will ever know you," Anakin insisted. "And it is my will," he added imperiously. "You _will _accompany me, one way or the other," he threatened, gesturing towards the wardrobe.

Suppressing a grimace of distaste, Obi-Wan recalled the first time that Anakin had taken him to such an event. Obi-Wan had flat-out refused to cooperate and behave as a trained lap dog, so Anakin had physically forced him into an embarrassingly revealing outfit and taken him in chains, while trying to make him engage in small-talk with the visiting Imperial dignitaries. So the second time Anakin had tried to take him out, Obi-Wan had grudgingly cooperated, dressing as ordered. And Anakin, much to Obi-Wan's surprise and relief, hadn't tried to make Obi-Wan be sociable, instead accepting that he would be silent for the duration.

So of course Obi-Wan hadn't expected to win this 'argument', but he had had to at least try. "Very well," he said in reply, his tone dropping a few more degrees. Anakin eyed him suspiciously for a moment, but his expression soon tuned to one of satisfaction as he turned and left.

Obi-Wan reluctantly padded over to the wardrobe to get dressed. Fortunately, the pale green tunic set that had been laid out for him was actually rather tasteful, and far more modest than what he was given to wear at the Palace. He quickly pulled it on, annoyed by the impractical slipper-like shoes, and headed to the sitting room to wait. Momentarily, Anakin swept into the room from his adjoining study, now dressed in his formal military garb. Tall and regal, Anakin cut a dashing figure in the sleek black uniform. But Obi-Wan tried to ignore that, instead allowing himself to be amused by the fact that Anakin had dressed in his _study_ while he had dressed in the bedroom.

Obi-Wan's amusement quickly evaporated, however, when Anakin picked up his hands and placed them in cuffs, which attached with a deceptively fine chain to the finely engraved collar that Anakin fastened around his neck. They were delicately crafted, beautiful, and, much to Obi-Wan's dismay, utterly inescapable.

"A gift," Anakin told him with a darkly charming smile. "I foresee difficulties, today."

"Difficulties?" Obi-Wan repeated incredulously. "I can't image."

------

Vader was bored. He had hoped that his Consort's presence would provide him with some diversion, but Obi-Wan had been downright frigid since Vader had chained him. Not that Obi-Wan was ever any warmer than cool towards him anyway, he noted with an involuntary twinge of regret.

They had arrived at the lavish, open-air banquet not more than two hours ago, and the first course had only been served just now after several long-winded speeches. Looking at his disgruntled Consort beside him, Vader watched him pick at his food half-heartedly, rather than pay attention to the performing dance troupe. Obi-Wan, sensing his scrutiny, looked back at him with a look that only Vader would be able to recognize as a glare, and then turned away and to the side. Now both bored and irritated, Vader decided that some public humiliation was in order. Ravishing his Consort in public would certainly provide him as well as any interested spectators with entertainment, and it would also serve to remind Obi-Wan of his place.

Just as he began to move his arm towards Obi-Wan, the administrative building just to the side of the banquet area erupted in the rumbling, billowing flames of an explosion. Blaster fire pierced the air, and workers began to pour out of the crumbling structure in panic. Around him, his fellow banquet-goers radiated fear and uncertainty as they scattered in all directions. Instinctively on alert, Vader stood and reached out towards the building with the Force, sensing a small multitude of hostile presences. This, then, was surely the disturbance that he had foreseen. It seemed that the Rebels had not been as thoroughly ousted as they had thought.

He directed a quick, sharp glance at Obi-Wan, who was still seated and seemed entirely unbothered by the chaos surrounding him. "You!" he ordered the two nearby Imperial Guards that had not fled from their posts, "Escort my Consort safely to my shuttle and remain with him until I return." The last thing he wanted was Obi-Wan getting in the middle of this mess, unarmed and chained as he was.

With a last fleeting glance back at his Consort, Vader headed swiftly towards the devastated building with only one purpose in mind. Though dealing with Rebellion activity was certainly more interesting than a banquet, the damage that had been done to Imperial property and the danger that they posed to his Consort was unacceptable

He looked forward to killing them.

------

Vader had only gotten to kill two of the Rebels, which was fewer than he'd have expected. The rest had escaped his wrath, apparently having planned for a quick getaway as soon as they caught sight of him. Cowardly as they were, Vader had to wonder why they had even bothered with the explosion and siege of the building in the first place; they certainly hadn't accomplished anything by it. But it was of no importance to him. It had provided him with a diversion from that dull banquet, and he hadn't even had to engage in any mass killings. Which was just as well, given Obi-Wan's touchiness about that sort of thing. Being relieved of daytime boredom was not worth another frustrating night with his Consort.

Having finished delegating and directing, Vader headed back towards his shuttle, and was struck with a sudden anxiousness to get home and away from here. He all but hurried aboard, expecting to be greeted by the welcome, but never welcoming, sight of his Consort. What he saw instead did not please him.

"Where is my Consort, Guard?" Vader said menacingly as he moved closer to the only other person in the small shuttle.

"I—I am sorry, my Lord," the guard said nervously, bowing his head. "He is gone."

"You let him _escape_?" Vader roared, enraged at the thought.

"No, my Lord!" the guard protested, taking a step back. "He was taken. By the Rebels. They killed Guard Trelen, and then they took him," he said fearfully.

Rage engulfed him. Too furious to care to hear any further explanations, Vader swiftly and efficiently snapped the guard's neck with his robotic arm. But the action helped quell his anger only slightly, and a dark sense of emptiness seemed to well up within him as he allowed what had happened to sink in. Obi-Wan was gone.

The explosion and everything else had just been a distraction, and an effective one at that. Vader cursed himself for misunderstanding his premonition—_again_, his inner voice whispered -- and for chaining Obi-Wan that day thus making him all the more easy to capture. As he glanced down at the guard's body, Vader wished, belatedly, that he had thought to ask where Obi-Wan had been taken from. Going back outside, he quickly spotted his answer in the form of a shoe. A green, silk slipper that was entirely lovely and completely impractical. The next time he took Obi-Wan out, Vader vowed that he would give him boots.

But would Obi-Wan have even tried to escape capture? He had been a member of the Rebellion himself, but it was unlikely that his fellow Rebels had come to rescue him. There was a reason that Vader kept Obi-Wan's face veiled when there was a chance of him being seen.

What, then, could the Rebels possibly want with Obi-Wan?

------


	11. Chapter 11

_Hugs and cookies to my wonderful reviewers, I appreciate your support (and help catching typos, lol)! Here is the next chapter._

**Chapter 11**

When he regained consciousness, Obi-Wan didn't know whether to thank his kidnappers or to try and escape them.

He had sensed their presence a while before they had sprung their trap and taken him, but hadn't bothered to do anything about it; though the guards probably would have listened to him. With the exception of the pair that he had encountered in the detention block that one time, the Imperial Guards that patrolled the Palace tended to be rather fond of him, in the way that the servants in a wealthy household would pity the pet of their employer's cruel son. It was regrettable that Anakin had probably killed the remaining one. But, still, Obi-Wan was glad that he had been able to escape Anakin's grasp, even if he now had new captors. Because surely they couldn't be any worse, and he didn't think that escaping them would be too difficult.

But he may not have a chance to escape, if Anakin caught up with his captors first. Undoubtedly, Anakin would be able to find him easily through the strangely strong remnants of the training bond that they had once shared, which had only gotten stonger in the time they'd been together. Already, he could feel Anakin reaching out towards him through the Force. But Obi-Wan did not want to be found, and decided that now would be a good time to put his new skill to use. Concentrating for a moment, Obi-Wan willed himself out of the sight of the Force, and then simply _vanished_. He could sense Anakin's distant anger and distress, and took this as a sign of his success.

From his vantage point in the holding cell in the small cruiser, Obi-Wan unconcernedly took in his surroundings. There were only three other people on the small vessel, a female Twi'lek and two human males, one tall and fair and the other one dark and burly. Taking a closer look at them, he found the tall one to be very familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

"Looks like Vader's pet is awake, Commander," the burly one commented, sticking his thumb over his shoulder in Obi-Wan's direction.

The tall Commander strode over towards the holding cell and looked at Obi-Wan with disdain. "So he is," he commented. "He shouldn't be any trouble though, he's just a glorified whore."

Commander . . . Obi-Wan knew this man. "I suggest you choose your words more carefully, Commander Sein," Obi-Wan said coolly, taking a few fluid steps to the edge of his cell to face the man. "Especially when you have no idea what you're talking about," he added lightly. Slowly and deliberately, he unhooked the veil that concealed the lower part of his face.

"How did you know my name?" Commander Sein demanded.

The Twi'lek who had been observing from the bench across from the cell spoke then, her voice quiet with shock. "General Kenobi," she breathed.

Obi-Wan nodded his head towards her. "Yes, thank you . . ."

"Lieutenant Saayta," she replied, inclining her head slightly in return.

"Well, Lieutenant, it appears to me that your mission was a success. But since this obviously wasn't a rescue mission," Obi-Wan said wryly, "Why in the galaxy would the Rebellion want to kidnap an Imperial Consort?"

------

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, or at least a semi-decent one. But now, Padmé wasn't so sure. Her former husband was an intelligent and ruthless man, and she somehow doubted that he would give the Rebellion anything but trouble in exchange for his Consort. Thus, it was with great apprehension that she headed to the Yavin base's hanger to meet the successfully returning team, wondering off-handedly what her replacement, of sorts, would be like.

"Obi-Wan?" she said incredulously, catching sight of the figure that descended from the returning ship's ramp behind Commander Sein.

Obi-Wan gave her a warm, weary smile. "Padmé. It is good to see you again," he said sincerely. "It has been too long."

Disregarding the presence of the other officers, Padmé ran over to Obi-Wan and flung her arms around his slim shoulders. "When we heard you were captured, we thought that you were dead. I'm so glad you're safe," she whispered, and then pulled back to look him over. Noticing for the first time his fine, elegant clothing, she asked incredulously, "What happened? And _what _are you wearing?" Some part of her mind knew, but she just couldn't, or wouldn't, put it together.

"They captured me, Padmé, and brought me to Vader," Obi-Wan said gently. "And rather than killing me . . . he decided to keep me."

Padmé could only stare back at him in shocked horror, shaking her head. "No . . ." Obi-Wan couldn't be.

"As his Consort," Obi-Wan said deliberately, looking her in the eye with a soft, sad look.

"Oh . . . no . . ." Padmé choked out, not wanting to believe it. But the evidence was standing there before her, undeniable. "All this time, we never knew. Even now . . ." This was, or would be, a disaster. A horrible, tragic disaster.

"What is it, Padmé?" Obi-Wan coaxed, looking at her intently.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she met his gaze. "We had a plan," she told him. "But now . . ."

------

Just as Vader had grasped Obi-Wan presence in the Force, he had lost it. It wasn't that he his concentration had slipped . . . Obi-Wan had simply disappeared, as though he had vanished from the Force. Bringing his speeder to an abrupt halt, Vader made an effort to suppress his rising despair. Surely Obi-Wan was not dead, but he may as well be if Vader couldn't rescue him and bring him back where he belonged.

His mental trail having abruptly vanished, he turned and headed back to his shuttle to return to his warship, which was in orbit above the planet. A small cruiser from the nearby space port would have been quicker, but it hardly seemed to matter now since he didn't know where to go.

And a warship, besides, would be far better fitting for his current state of mind. Somehow, he was going to hunt down and kill the Rebels that had taken Obi-Wan from him, bearing down on them with the full wrath of a Sith Lord of the Empire.

That is, of course, if his Master allowed it.

------

"Of course we will take action, my apprentice. The Rebels must not be allowed to get away with such a serious insult to Imperial power," the Emperor assured him gravely. "But, as you informed me, you do not even know where your Consort," he said with a slight sneer, "has been taken. How shall you proceed?" He looked at Vader expectantly, a slight challenge in his tone.

"The Rebel's threats are empty, my Master. My Consort was one of their own, and they will not kill him even if we refuse their demands," Vader replied formally.

"If? There was never any if, Lord Vader. The Rebel prisoners shall not be released under any circumstances," Palpatine reminded him coldly.

"Yes, my Master," Vader replied stiffly. It was fortunate that it wasn't an issue, or he would have had to argue with his Master. Surely, Obi-Wan was worth more than a few Rebels that had been thick enough to get themselves caught, and they could always catch more. But as it was, he knew that the Rebels wouldn't even consider killing Obi-Wan. The Rebellion suffered from a weak, gentle leadership, unlike the Imperial Government, and he intended to use this to his advantage.

"I propose that we kill the Rebel prisoners, my Master, and begin concentrated assaults on all suspected past and current Rebel base locations. Even if none of them are actual bases, the Rebels will undoubtedly feel responsible for the destruction," Vader said confidently.

"An excellent plan, Lord Vader, and one that will create ill-will towards the Rebellion among the general populace as well," Palpatine said approvingly. "I will see that it is carried out."

"My Master, I had hoped to do this myself," Vader said, choosing his words carefully and schooling his features to hide his disbelief. This was something he needed to do, and that had nothing to do with the Emperor. And Vader certainly did not appreciate Palpatine interfering, Master or not.

"Remember your place, my apprentice," Palpatine rebuked him coldly. "I have another mission for you . . ."


	12. Chapter 12

_Each of your reviews is very appreciated! I'm happy to see some new readers, as well as some of my old favorites. ;)_

_Corculum glad you've enjoyed my stories, thanks for leaving reviews! To answer your question: This story is actually a sequel of sorts to (or rather, it is set in the same AU as)_ A Simple Change, _so yes, Obi-Wan is Auren in this story too. Auren age very slowly; the older they get, the slower they age. So, he's not much different than he was in the last story, as Anakin noticed in the earlier chapters of this story. Hope this helped!_

_Onto the next part. . . _

**Chapter 12**

Padmé slumped down minutely in her seat, disenheartened by the discussion going on around her.

"So are you saying that we should return him to that monster, General?" The icy tones of Mon Mothma echoed throughout the cavernous meeting room of the Yavin base.

At this point it seemed that returning Obi-Wan to Vader was the only way to stop the Imperial attacks on seemingly random locations, supposedly because they were suspected Rebel bases. But no one wanted to do that, knowing what the poor Jedi had been subjected to as Vader's captive.

"Of course not, Ma'am," General Radiin bristled. "But we must consider all of our options . . ."

The top ranking officials of the Rebellion been going at it for hours, but kept ending up at the same place. Everyone had something to say, but it was all more of the same. Padmé, of course, had already said her piece, and had vehemently defended that Obi-Wan should not be handed over to Vader. When she had finished, Obi-Wan had graced her with a small smile, looking both grateful and sad. He had since been sitting quietly at her side, seemingly disinterested in the goings on around him that would decide his fate.

As absorbed in her thoughts as she was, Padmé didn't notice that Obi-Wan had moved until he had already stood and stepped forward to address the group. Someone who didn't know Obi-Wan as well as she would have been reassured by expression on his face, but Padmé recognized it for what it was and regarded her friend with mounting apprehension.

"My fellow members of the Rebellion," Obi-Wan began in his usual lilting, melodious tone. "Please, there is no need to continue this discussion. Clearly, there is no satisfactory solution to this dilemma. But I cannot in good conscience allow these attacks to go on . . ."

As Obi-Wan spoke, Padmé's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. Trust a Jedi to come up with a plan like that, though she would hardly call it one at all.

------

"This, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is entirely too familiar." Padmé sniffed quietly, raising her tear-filled eyes to meet his. Obi-Wan met her gaze fondly, and placed a hand gently but firmly on her shoulder. She had insisted on seeing him off as he departed the Yavin base, and they now stood in the hanger bay before the small Starfighter that he would be taking.

"It is the will of the Force," he said simply. "And I must follow it." Though he had finally been freed from Anakin's grasp, the price of his freedom was far too high. He had desperately not wanted to return, and had meditated on the matter for some time before the solution came to him. It had seemed so wrong, at first, but he had accepted and come to understand it.

"Of course you must," Padmé replied with a hint of bitterness. "You're a Jedi, despite it all. Though don't you ever feel that your Force has betrayed you?" She asked heatedly.

Obi-Wan slowly shook his head. "How can I? There is too much that I do not know," he said gently.

"But _why_? You're a good Jedi, and a good person, and look what happens to you! You're being taken away from me, probably to die. How can the Force be so . . . cruel, as to do this to you?" Padmé burst out agitatedly.

" Padmé --" Obi-Wan tried to cut her off, but she wasn't finished.

"The Force took my husband from me years ago. I didn't understand it at first, but I learned what the dark side can do to a person." Padmé took a deep breath. "But you are so different than him, so light. I don't understand why the Force would take you too." She looked away from him. "The dark side took my husband, and you allow yourself to be taken by the light. I don't think I like the Force, much," she said distantly, the bitterness gone from her voice. A single tear slipped down her cheek, unbidden.

Obi-Wan stepped closer to her, resting his forehead against hers as she put her arms on his shoulders. "The Force is not finished with either Anakin nor I yet," he said softly, looking into the sad brown eyes just centimeters from his own. Straightening, he moved away from her and went to board his ship. "Remember that, my friend." Obi-Wan gave her a serene smile, and Padmé returned it with a small wave.

"May the Force be with you, Obi-Wan. Since that's what you want," she said sincerely, though Obi-Wan could read the doubt in her eyes even as he piloted the ship out of the hanger. He only hoped that his own doubt had not been so apparent.

------

The Force had been quiet as of late. Vader was far away, and there was still, vexingly enough, not a trace of Kenobi. Sidious was highly displeased that things had gotten so out of hand with the Jedi; Kenobi had clearly become a bad influence on his foolish apprentice. And this ridiculous kidnapping attempt would provide him with the perfect opportunity. He could kill Kenobi and make the Rebels appear responsible for his death, which would only strengthen his hold on Vader.

All he needed was Kenobi. How the Jedi had managed to vanish from the sight of the Force, Sidious had no idea. But there would be time enough to find out about that, as well as to partake in other amusements, when he captured the Jedi. Not if.

Abandoning his attempts to focus on Kenobi's seemingly absent presence in the Force, Sidious rose with a low growl and paced over to his expansive, sleek black desk to contact whatever underling he had assigned to head the search. As his shriveled finger hovered over the com button, he paused. There was _something_ there that he could sense, just now, that hadn't been there before. Or rather, some_one_. Gradually, like a masterfully engineered explosion, a presence seemed to grow brighter and brighter on the vast plane of the Force, until Sidious could see it clearly. Blindingly bright, Sidious recognized the presense right away as Kenobi. For whatever reason, the Jedi had become visible to him again; unfortunately, that meant that Vader could sense him now as well. Undoubtedly, he would come rushing across the galaxy to reclaim his little Jedi pet, but it was of no matter. He would be finished with the Jedi long before his apprentice returned to claim him. But even if Vader did somehow manage to get back before he was finished with the Jedi, it would be of little consequence. Vader was nothing if not loyal.

He pressed his finger to the com button, and gave the orders that would be remembered for some time to come.

------

"_Unidentified Starfighter, you have illegally entered Imperial space and will be detained. Stand down for tractor beam."_

"Understood," Obi-Wan replied calmly over the com unit. Since he has 'reappeared' in the Force in the Coruscant system, it had actually taken some time for the Imperial forces to come after him since. And he knew that these Imperials were not under Anakin's command, but the Emperor's.

His ship jolted slightly as the tractor beam latched on, and Obi-Wan released the controls. Sitting back in his seat, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind, allowing the calm clarity of the Force to penetrate his mind. The ship lurched, signaling that it had been docked in the hanger of the Imperial warship. His ship's hatch slowly raised, and Obi-Wan opened his eyes to see the blasters of several Storm Troopers pointing down at him. Unfazed, he simply raised his hands and climbed out of his ship. They immediately slapped a pair of cuffs on his wrists, much to Obi-Wan's chagrin.

"Move, you," one of them ordered, giving him a shove. Obi-Wan did not reply, but allowed them to lead him into the bowels of the ship until they eventually came to a stop at the end of a darkened corridor.

"The Emperor wants to see you," one of the Troopers informed him, and the door in front of him opened with a swish.

Pausing only for an instant, Obi-Wan crossed the threshold, and the door closed swiftly behind him. The room was dark and expansive, and a view of space blanketed the back.

"We meet again, Jedi," came an oozing voice from the black, throne-like chair that was silhouetted by the window.

"Sidious," Obi-Wan acknowledged calmly. There was no escape now; he was the prisoner of Darth Sidious.

And that was exactly what he had planned.

------

_One more chapter to go! I'm still working on the next story that will be set after this one, but it's been coming along pretty slowly with the back-to-school rush. Things are settling down, though, so it shouldn't be too long coming. And as always, let me know what you think of the story andthe direction I take the characters-- your imput helps me decide how to write what I'm currently working on. ;)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Apologies for the long wait, the document manager on here has been evil lately! _

_My heartfelt thanks for all of your kind and thoughtful reviews, they mean a lot to me even if I haven't the time to reply to each individual one. :)_

_To answer questions about the sequel, yes, it is in the works; I've just started chapter 12. It will be set after this story, not before. I must admit it would probably be interesting to do a "prequel" type story to explain what Obi-Wan (and Padme) have been up to all that time, but to be honest, I never really thought about it in too much detail (oops!). Please see the end notes for more info. _

_Finally, the last chapter! Thanks so much for your support, everyone. _

**Chapter 13**

"It is a pleasure to have you here, Jedi," Sidious said with a short cackle, looking him over with a malicious eye. "I have been looking forward to ridding my Empire of your disruptive presence."

"Disruptive, is that what you call it?" Obi-Wan flung back. "And here I thought I was a good influence," he said caustically. "Your apprentice is so easily swayed," Obi-Wan commented, depositing a hint of smugness into his tone. He didn't actually believe that he had done a thing to change Anakin's dark ways, but Sidious seemed to think otherwise and Obi-Wan wanted to use this to his advantage. Hopefully, he could avoid a painfully drawn-out death if he angered the Sith enough. Force only knew that they were prone to such irrational bouts of rage.

"Do not overestimate your influence, Jedi," Sidious sneered. "You are an annoyance, nothing more. Vader cares for you no more than he would care for a pet. But nevertheless, you are still an annoyance to be _removed._" At this last word, Sidious raised his hand and flung a crackling blue bolt of energy at him, and Obi-Wan fell to his knees with a gasp of pain. Obi-Wan embraced the pain, and allowed it to flow through his rapidly weakening body.

Finally, the end was in sight.

------

"I am sorry, my Lord, it is simply not possible for our ship to return to the Coruscant system that quickly."

Vader glowered down at his Captain, but acknowledged him with a nod. As angry as he was, he didn't trust himself to speak at that moment without flying into a rage. Good as it would feel, Vader knew that he really shouldn't kill Captain Lissen. After all, someone would have to take command of the ship when he left, as he certainly wouldn't be staying. He had felt Obi-Wan's presence once again over a day ago, and had immediately abandoned the useless mission that Palpatine had assigned him and headed towards where he sensed Obi-Wan was.

He had been somewhat uneasy when he had realized that Obi-Wan was in the Coruscant sector, since that meant that he was near Palpatine. It hadn't been until a couple of hours ago, though, that Vader had began to feel the beginnings of panic. Across their old bond, and across the galaxy, Vader had sensed that Obi-Wan was in pain. Excruciating, life-threatening pain. And more than anything, he wanted to stop it. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Vader recognized the possibility that Palpatine was responsible, but quickly shoved it back even further.

"I will be taking a fighter to the Coruscant system myself, then," Vader said shortly. "I will be leaving immediately. Captain, you have command of this ship." Without another word, Vader turned and started to leave.

"But, my Lord!" the Captain protested. "The Emperor would certainly not approve."

Vader whirled around and fixed the Captain with a deceptively calm glare. "The Emperor and I have had a small_ misunderstanding._ I am returning early so that it may be resolved. Unless, of course, you feel you are not competent enough to assume command?" Vader said threateningly, a dangerous undertone in his voice.

"No, my Lord, of course not," Captain Lissen replied quickly. "Of course you must see to your business with the Emperor," he added with a hint of nervousness.

"How good of you to approve," Vader said mockingly. "I will be certain to remember it." Leaving a quivering mass of nerves in his wake, Vader stalked purposefully off the bridge and headed to the hanger to rescue his Consort.

------

Anakin was coming for him. Somehow, even through the relentless barrage of pain, Obi-Wan knew this, and couldn't help but find it amusing in a twisted sort of way. Perhaps Anakin would help kill him, after all. A choked laugh escaped his lips, or perhaps it was a sob. Yet even now the Force sang around him, offering its urgent reassurances.

"So amused, are you, by your impending death?" Sidious snarled, a smile twisting his lips. "Allow me to amuse you further, then."

------

Before he even arrived, Vader knew that he was too late.

Shortly after entering the system, he had sensed a change in Obi-Wan's presence in the Force. It had dimmed, abruptly, and Vader had nearly lost control of his ship as he had reached out enough to feel Obi-Wan's pain. He had already been flying at top speed, but had _willed_ the ship to go faster, drawing on the unusually willing Force to aid him. And it had seemed that it would be enough.

But just as he had docked in the hanger of the Emperor's ship, he felt it. A blinding, agonizing pain coursed through Obi-Wan and echoed across their bond, and then Obi-Wan slipped away, just out of his grasp. _I can't be too late! _It should not have seemed so important, but it did.

Leaping out of his docked ship, he ran through the empty corridors towards Obi-Wan with Force enhanced speed. Straight to the Emperor's chambers. He normally would have shown courtesy to his Master and announced himself before entering, but it seemed too absurd now to even consider. The Emperor had not shown him any consideration in this matter, and Vader was angry and desperate enough to do the same. He flung the door open with the Force, leaving crushed metal behind him as he entered the room. He surveyed the room immediately, but could see little in the darkness but the outline of the back of a chair on the wide dais, facing the stars. He stepped around to see, suddenly wary, and nearly froze at what he saw there. Palpatine stood before the chair, dark energy crackling from his hands. A step down from him lay Obi-Wan, unmoving.

"Palpatine," Vader said in a low, tightly controlled voice. "I have come for my Consort."

Palpatine turned on him and gave him with a gleefully malicious look. "Of course, my apprentice. How good of you to come. Certainly, you may take the final blow for yourself; though it is hardly necessary. He was yours, after all." Palpatine conceded with a twisted smile and a slight wave towards Obi-Wan.

Surely, Palpatine did not think that he had come all this way, and so quickly, just to kill Obi-Wan? He could have done that at his leisure. And Obi-Wan was _still_ his. "No," Vader choked out vehemently.

Palpatine looked at him inquiringly for a moment, and for that brief moment Vader thought that he had won. "Very well, then," Palpatine cackled. "I shall finish him myself!"

In an flash, the Sith Lord's red blade was activated and raised to strike. Vader looked on in shock, unable to deal with the conflict raging within him. But the shock passed almost instantaneously as his internal battle was ended. There was no choice for him, now, and he wondered fleetingly if there ever had been. His body responded more quickly than his mind, and before he knew what he was doing he had drawn his own blade and turned it on his Sith Master. With one swift, elegant stroke, it was over.

He watched, detachedly, as the top and bottom half of the Sith toppled to the floor, landing with two dull thuds. It had been so easy; Palpatine hadn't planned for this. He could only stare at his red blade in his hand for a moment, and was suddenly and intensely struck by the wrongness of the familiar weapon.

Breaking free of his daze, he recalled, with mounting distress, his reason for all this.

"Obi-Wan!" He dropped the foreign blade to the floor and swiftly moved to kneel beside Obi-Wan's still form. The Jedi had not moved since he had entered Palpatine's chambers, which worried him immensely. "Obi-Wan?" he called again, softly, as he gently stroked the other man's hair. But the Jedi remained still, and he felt his heart clench as he sensed how weak Obi-Wan was. He knew, at that moment, that Obi-Wan was not strong enough to survive. It had been too much.

Curbing his fear, he reached out with the Force to Obi-Wan, and, unbidden, their old bond sprang to life. Tenacious and unnaturally durable, it had never truly died; but now it seemed to call to him. Allowing himself to be led by its urgings, he carefully lifted Obi-Wan and hugged him to his chest. "Please, live," he whispered. "I need you." Without a second thought he called upon the Force, once again reaching for a part of it that had become unfamiliar over time. Delicately, he drew upon the light energy, basking in its warmth as he directed its much needed strength into Obi-Wan. As the energy from the Force flowed across their bond, it flared brightly, leaving him with a sense of long-awaited completeness. So this, then, was what was to come of it all.

Obi-Wan still lay limp and unresponsive in his arms, but he no longer feared for his beloved's life. "Rest, now," he murmured. Gently, he gathered Obi-Wan in his arms and stood.

Without a second glance at the fallen Sith, Anakin took Obi-Wan and left.

------

Something was different, now, but it was some time before Obi-Wan realized what it was.

He drifted, for what seemed to be both a few moments and an eternity, in redness. He remembered little from then other than grating pain and a distorted vision of Anakin's worried face. But it couldn't have been Anakin; Sith do not worry. He had imagined it. Closing his eyes and shutting the image out, he allowed himself to drift again.

When he woke more fully, he was aware that he was being pulled out of a bacta tank and laid on an something white and cold. He shivered, still not fully awake, as he was toweled off and bundled into a narrow medical bed. He had failed. He was still alive, and Anakin and Sidious had no rift between them, as Anakin surely would not be allowed to come here. Tired and aching from the brief activity, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness that beckoned him.

"Obi-Wan?" came a soft voice at his bedside, and a pair of hands encircled his. One of them was metal.

His eyes flew open, and he turned his head to see Anakin sitting beside him and regarded him wearily. Obi-Wan felt it, then, and would have jumped upright if he had had the strength. An intimate, light mental touch caressed him, one that was far too warm to be coming from who he thought it was.

Anakin picked up Obi-Wan's hand, then, and brought it up against his cheek with a kiss. "Yes, Obi-Wan, it's me," Anakin said gently, his voice pained. "Anakin." His voice cracked, and a tear fell down onto Obi-Wan's upturned face.

And it _was _Anakin, this time. With effort, Obi-Wan squeezed Anakin's hand with his own captive one and reached out to his wayward partner with the Force, welcoming him home.

**The End**

. . . for now.

------

_End notes: __Please note that THE SEQUEL to this story, tentatively titled_ Luminous Dust_, WILL NOT BE POSTED HERE. Instead, I will be posting it at_ **Live Journal**_, just to see if that format is preferable. My username there is_ **darthdolly**_. If you'd like to see my LJ posts on your journal's friends page (so you don't have to find my journal every time), feel free to add me to your Friends list. Hope to see you there!_

_And as with all my other stories, I will of course be posting it at_ **Force Haven's**_ forum (my homepage link)._

_Questions? Feel free to contact me! You can email me or send me a Private Message at Force Haven's forum (username: Dolly). _

_If you've made it this far, thanks for sticking with me! -passes out cookies-_


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